Astros keep changing but Wesley Wright sticks around

Wesley Wright still recalls Doug Brocail’s blunt words. Wright was a 23-year-old unproven rookie in 2008. He deferred to big-name veteran relievers such as Jose Valverde and LaTroy Hawkins on an Astros team that went 86-75 and marked the final high point during the Cecil Cooper era.

Now, Wright’s the lone holdover from his team’s last above-average campaign.

He took Brocail’s spring-training message to heart, endured the 2012 wholesale roster purge and survived an offseason filled with even more change. Wright is entering his sixth season with the Astros. As a five-year veteran, Wright, 28, is the equivalent of an old-timer on a largely unknown and heavily inexperienced club.

“Being around baseball, from when you sign up until you reach the big leagues, you see change daily,” said Wright, who appeared in a team-high 77 games last season, finished 13 contests and posted an impressive 3.27 ERA in 52 1⁄3 innings.